Here's a superstar plate for the gluten-free crowd, still a treat to non-restricted eaters. Rather than the wide rice noodles you're used to on standard Pad Thai, the Woon Sen is built on a base of thin "bean thread" noodles. They get the same stir-fry treatment with a rich peanut flavor, and though egg adds some protein, it's well worth the upcharge for soft prawns to contrast the bean sprouts' crunch. Heat level's up to your better judgment. ($6.80/$2.50 extra for shrimp)

The essence of a great crab cake is, of course, a lack of filler beyond its seasoning. The blue-lump-crab-to-binder-ingredient ratio here is spot-on, and then comes the double-down with a killer creamy crab and crawfish tail gravy, oozing over the cake and marrying with a bed of garlicky rice. ($12 for one/$17 for two)

Why limit yourself to a single meat when you can taste three: ribs, brisket and pulled pork. Apple-wood smoke infuses all generously and the grill leaves a hearty char on the ribs in particular, which are lathered with an excellent homemade brown sugar and black pepper barbecue sauce. The pulled pork is slightly gamey and super tender after 12 hours in the smoker and the brisket's equally soft. ($10.99 with two sides and a roll)

Beef Bulgogiat San Chang House

3659 Austin Bluffs Pkwy., 598-1707

Bulgogi is the poster child of marinated meat, which is to say it's one of the finest expressions of thin beef cuts patiently tenderized and seasoned to a palate-pleasing perfection. Due to language barriers, we couldn't tell you exactly what's in San Chang's rendition — likely it includes the classic soy, sugar, sesame and garlic and onion inputs — but we can say theirs is as good as the dish gets around here. Semi-sweet, salty and umami at once. ($8.99 lunch/$12.99 dinner)

Lily-livered eaters with low heat tolerances need not apply. (Welcome to the jungle, baby!) The beer-batter-fried jalapeños will hit hardest, amplifying the spicy pepper jack's modest burn, followed up with a little chipotle character to the mayo. Yes on the lettuce and tomato, maybe on the bacon addition. The better-than-brioche bun will handle it all, including the half-pound beef patty. Burn, baby, burn. ($9.99)

Red Curry and Roasted Duckat Thai Guy

6821 Space Village Ave., 573-8054

The culinary keystone here is the pineapple, lending its sweetness to a velvety coconut-milk broth that's also rich with the floral aroma and flavor of kaffir lime leaves. But the pineapple's inherent bromelain, a protein-digesting enzyme, also tenderizes the game meat, leaving it soft and super delicious inside the mix. Prepare yourself for the mouth hammer. ($8.50)

Rouladen at Uwe's German Restaurant

31 Iowa Ave., 475-1611

Think about a Middle Eastern dolma, but instead of grape leaves, thin cuts of beef wrap around more chopped beef and bacon slices seasoned in spices and mustard. Pickle and onion provide a tangy, piquant edge, as does vinegary red cabbage on the plate, which is skimmed with a small lake of thin gravy. ($14.50 includes soup and salad)

This is just one of three spots to love on Bird Dog's oak-smoked, Oklahoma-style barbecue, the others being in Briargate and Fountain. The house Wasabi-Q sauce is a unique favorite, as is the Doghouse open-faced sandwich: brisket (or pork) under Polish sausage, hot links, beans and melted cheese. Woof.

Café Banzai

2917 Galley Road, 622-0333

Defining the phrase "good food on the cheap," Café Banzai leads with $5.99 lunch specials that include miso soup, rice, gyoza, Asian noodles and a salad with your chosen protein. The beef bulgogi is always a wise option, as is the $5 chicken teriyaki bowl.

Head to the specials page of Frankie's website for just a small taste of what makes these two spirited sports bars so vital to the east-side community. A few teasers: the weekday all-you-can-eat homemade soup-and-salad option for $6.99; affordable wing, burger and steak deals; truly good drink specials. Making either bar your third place would be a first-rate move.

Where else in town are you gonna go for a Life Force Green Smoothie? (Answer: nowhere.) Boulder's Ozo Coffee Co. provides the excellent beans, but don't just hit the drive-thru for your coffee fix. Dine in and peruse the recently expanded sandwich menu and from-scratch soups, house pastries and much more.

Pho Viet 1

3712 Galley Road, 597-6559

As Springs food trends go, the pho scene is booming, with one shop after another starting to serve the steaming bowls of herby, meaty goodness. Wise outfits will care to weigh themselves against Pho Viet 1, which clearly shines with authenticity evident by strong support from the Vietnamese community. Follow your pho with a durian boba milkshake.

Rocco's has been rockin' standout Italian fare for 30-plus years, including every pasta you could want (gnocchi, manicotti, fettuccine, gluten-free noodles) plus calzones, savory and sweet cannoli, and hot sub sandwiches. The staff's as warm as the welcoming setting — neighborhood spots don't come any more comforting than this.

Sister outfit to Fountain's Elke's German Deli and the master-pastry-chef-driven Old German Bakery, Schnitzel Fritz is the solution for sauerbraten needs on the east side. Before you make crumbs of the fantastic sweets, be a good boy and clean that schnitzel plate, appreciating the superior local meat sourcing from the likes of Ranch Foods Direct and Continental Sausage.

Where can you punish a plate of Panang curry or papaya salad, stick around for a cooking class where you learn to make a divine coconut cream Bou Loy Pudding, then head home with a grocery bag stuffed with Thai iced tea mix and an array of dry goods? Here, friends. Only here.

The empire has contracted — Burgers and Bowls and Tomo II both closed — but the original Tomo still rolls with the best of them. Come in weekdays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. for happy hours, and get 20 percent off sushi rolls plus drink specials. Order from the deluxe, popular or specialty roll menu sections, knowing you won't be disappointed no matter what you choose.